Hand-truck.



G. G; GRoss.

HAND TRUGK. APPLICATION FILED MABJM, 1910.

A 974,135. Patented 1\rov.v11910.-

= 1 VUIIEI STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES GROSS, F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

HAND-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Application led March 31, 1910. Serial No. 552,493.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ICHARLEs G. Gnoss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in hand trucks and has for its object, broadly, to provide a truck of this class consisting of few parts and which will be reliable in operation, durable in wear and will provide a. strong construction.

Another object is to provide a truck of adequate strength, and so constructed that a minimum quantity of iron will be required to the end that it may be of comparative light weight.

The invention includes the use of transverse, metallic bearing-plates disposed below or at a lower altitude than the strips of the handle bars, so that the load ordinarily will be seated upon andl its weight sustain-ed principally bythe handle bars, the cross pieces being relieved largely of the weight.

The invention has reference particularly to the manner of forming and mounting upon the side-bars the several cross-bars, and providing for the location of the boltapertures whereby the cross-bars will not be traversed by rivets or bolts, this arrangement being for the purpose mentioned.

The invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement of parts as described and claimed herein and as illustrated in the drawing, it being understood that changes in form, size, proportion, and minor details, may be made within the scope of the claims without depart-ing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its ad- Vantages.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the application, Figure 1 is a vertical side view of a truck constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view between lines a a and b b of Fig. 8. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the truck, parts being broken away to show construction.

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description, numeral 1 indicates a hand truck; the usual legs, the wheels and supporting frame therefor, and the usual nose-piece employed, being respectively indicated at 2, 3, L and 5.

At 6 are indicated'handle-bars or longitudinal side-members, these being rectangular in cross-section.

At 7 are shown metallic strips, the same being constructed integral with the nosepiece 5, and they extend from the front of the truck rearwardly to cover a part of the handle-bars or side-members. At longitudinal intervals upon the inner sides of side-members 6, I provide recesses 8, these recesses opening upon the upper face of the side-members.

At 9 are indicated cross-pieces or supporting-bars, preferably of wood and substantially of uniform length, width and thickness. The width of each cross-bar 9 is equal to the length of a recess 8, and it will be understood that when the parts are assembled the ends of the cross-bars have a seating inl these recesses.

At 10 are indicated metallic bearingplates, these plates being used generally in the construction of trucks of this class; they usually have a length equal to the width of the truck and they prevent the wear of the wooden cross-pieces upon which they are seated. In the present instance the ends of plates 10 extend outwardly of recesses 8 and are countersunk in the side-members and are disposed immediately beneath strips 7 and rest upon cross-pieces 9.

At 11 are indicated bolt-apertures formed intermediate recesses 8 and the outer sides of side-members 6, said apertures opening upon the upper and lower faces of the sidemembers. Bolt-apertures 12 are formed near the ends of bearing plates 10, and at 13 are indicated keepers or bolts which are seated in openings 11 and 12. openings are formed in bars 9 they are much stronger; and constructions which employ bolt-apertures in the ends of the cross-pieces are objectionable,.since water and moisture entering therein causes decay of the wood.

It will be noted that the arrangement thus described tends to provide a strong construction. In the manufacture of trucks the cross-pieces are of wood, to provide a lightweight structure, and in cases where the side-members are mortised to provide a seating for the cross-pieces, said cross-pieces Since nothereby extending entirely through the sidemembers, it is obvious that the latter are weakened and will not withstand the stresses or strains occasioned by the load, and the present construction avoids such defects.

In the use of wheel trucks it is well known that the cross-pieces are the first parts to break. I prefer to construct the Wood sidepieoes of adequate width, the metallic bearing-plates being countersunk as above men! tioned and as plainly shown in the drawing. As described, the nose-piece and strips 7 forni an integral bearing-trame substantially of U-shape with adjacent arms disposed above the transverse bearing-plates, and therefore, articles comprising the load will ordinarily rest upon the elevated strips T, and their weightconsequently will be directly sustained by the side-hars. This desirable since the cross pieces by this construction, are largely relieved of the weightl` as well as shocks and vibration.

At 1,4 are indicated transverse tension rods secured in any convenient manner upon the side-members and extending' substantially parallel with cross-bars 9, these tension rods being mounted near the lower edge of the side members opposite to bearing plates l0. rI'his construction tends to maintain the sidemeinbers in a verticzl position and to prevent spreading of supports at and of the lower parts of the side-members.

Ha ving fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

l. A wheel truck, comprising, in combination with side-members having recesses formed at longitudinal intervals to open upon the inner sides and upper faces and provided with apertures intermediate said recesses and their outer sides; supporting bars disposed transversely of the side-members and having their ends seated in said recesses; metallic bearing-plates seated upon the supporting-bars and having apertures formed near their ends; bolts traversing the apertures of the bearing-plates and sidemembers; and an integral bearing-frame comprising a nose-piece and adjacent arms,

said traine being secured upon the truck with arms disposed upon and forming longitudinal bearing portions projecting above the metallic bearing-plates.

2. A wheel truck comprising, in combination with side-members formed rectangular in crosssection and having recesses formed at longitudinal intervals opening upon their innersides and upper faces; cross-pieces having their ends seated in said recesses; metallic bearing-plates disposed substantially parallel with and seated upon the cross-pieces and having their ends disposed and countersunk upon the upper face ot the side-members; a plurality of keepers traversing said bearing-plates and side-members adjacent to and outwardly of said recesses and cross-pieces; and a metallic, substantially U-shaped bearing-trame having arms disposed longitudinally oit the truck upon the side-members, said arms forming adjacent portions projecting above the transverse bearing-plates and side-members.

In testimony whereoirl I have aiiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

` CHARLES G. GROSS.

lVitnesses IInAM A. S'rnneiis, H. A. lVrrirrLn. 

